Through “the new birth” we have become as sinless in nature as Jesus was at birth. He was “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29) yet uniquely “the only-begotten” Son of the Father (Romans 8:29). However amazing it may be to think of Jesus as our Elder Brother, we should not shrink from what the New Testament states clearly.
The more aware we are that “we are now the sons of God” the less conscious we become of our former sinful condition. In the case of the first Adam, this was apparent in his sense of vulnerability, in his covering of himself and Eve, in his fear of God’s displeasure, and in his blame apportionment; if not in an acceptance of his personal responsibility.
In God’s eyes we are now inseparable from His only-begotten Son Jesus “in Christ”, and so should see ourselves as what we now are: “The sons [and daughters] of God” — in at least 10 ways:
1. We are “not of this world” (system) even as Jesus was “not of the world” (John 17:16). We are “in” it but no longer “of” it. We are “in it to win it”, having been born again “to overcome the world” — again and again!
2. We were “born from above” by the Spirit of which overshadowed Mary and enabled her to conceive. The difference is that we had to be “born again” to have the nature that Jesus had from birth, one that is incapable of sinning (see #5.)
3. Each and every believer is “a new creation” in Jesus Christ, who is “the beginning of the creation of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 3:14). A “new creation” is limited only by an old creation body.
4. We exercise our spiritual abilities in the same way that Jesus did: by the power of the Holy Spirit. He said “I can do nothing of myself,[by my own power]. Likewise, neither can we (John 5:19; 14:10). Yet “with God all things are possible” and through the disproportionate power of the faith we have, nothing is impossible to us (Matthew 17:20).
5. God’s “new creation” cannot itself sin because its holy nature is identical to that in our Lord Jesus (1 John 3:9). If we do sin and then confess that sin to God, we are forgiven immediately (1 John 1:9).
6. We were separated from our former life by a symbolic ‘burial’ in water baptism. Jesus submitted his will to God when baptised by John before beginning his ministry. We identify ourselves as having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20); as “buried with him in baptism” (Romans 6:3); as being “made alive with him”; as “raised together with him” in his resurrection; and as being “seated with him” at God’s right hand “in heavenly places”. This process of identification enables us to live in victory, just as our Lord Jesus did.
7. First temptations to new believers arise in the form of questions aimed at raising doubts as to whether we really are who God says we are, and if so to prove it (Matthew 4:3, 6). We don’t need to prove anything to anyone, least of all to the enemy of our souls.
8. Our new identity is firmly assured through our victory over such questions through our affirmations of scriptures such as these that dispel self-doubt and allow surges of authority that sweep aside demons, sickness and disease (Luke 4:14).
9. Our greatest challenge is to accept without hesitation that “we are now the sons of God” and that as such share with his Firstborn Son the divine nature of our Heavenly Father (1 John 4:17; 2 Peter 1:4). Pause for a moment and consider the implications of this.
10. With Jesus Christ as our role model, we do the same works that he did. We do them responsively, effortlessly, without conscious forethought, and with no distractive second thoughts (Mark 11:23; Matthew 14:30).
What we believe takes us on ventures that connect us with the right people in the right places, at the right times (Acts 8:5). God leads us to some places we would not have chosen, and prompts us to run, overtake, address personal needs, answer puzzling questions, and link important contacts to Jesus through their statements of faith and identification with Jesus through water baptism (Acts 8:30). All that I can say is WOW!